Maybe
by Ms Yu
Summary: COMPLETE. Rating changed for part 2.  Maybe I've seen you before, but I wasn't really looking. Maybe I've already spoken your name, just not to your face. Maybe I've heard your voice, only to have it drowned by pointless chatter.
1. Mike

All standard disclaimers apply.

Mike/Tina when you look at it as a whole. Artie/Tina a necessary part of the story.

* * *

The saying 'Time flies' definitely does not apply to the last day of school, Mike decided. His last-period English class hadn't even started yet. Summer was thisclose.

He looked at the clock for the seventh time in five minutes and groaned, continuing to tap his desk with a pencil. Tina, who sat in front of him, turned at the sound, a puzzled look on her face.

"Vacation. So near yet so far," he said to her.

Finn, who occupied the seat behind Mike, piped in, "I'm with you bro. Times like this, that universal remote in 'Click' would really be useful."

"Yup. I'm itching to get away from McKinley High already."

"Patience, Mr. Chang." Tina smiled at him. "You sound like you're whining."

Mike used the pencil to gently flick a lock of Tina's hair that had fallen across her face, watching it fall back. "That, Ms. Chang, is because I am. Yes, I am man enough to admit that I am whining."

"Don't drop the 'Cohen.' It defeats the purpose of hyphenated surnames," she said, looking pointedly at him as she tucked the stray lock of hair behind her ear. "And calling me Ms. Chang makes people think we're related."

"You're not?" Finn asked.

At that moment, their teacher entered the room, prompting the students to pay attention to the front.

"Settle down, everyone." Mr. Harris opened his briefcase and took out a fistful of papers. "Yes, these are the creative non-fiction essays you did. I've already graded them."

Everyone groaned.

"This is what we're going to do, seeing how it's the last day of class. It's time for peer review." He stood and walked around the class, putting one of the submitted papers facedown on each desk. "You have your classmate's creative output. Write down your comments. Keep in mind that the assignment was to convey one's thoughts, so be honest."

Mr. Harris finished distributing the papers. "Constructive criticism, people! By the end of the period, give back your classmate's homework. Simple enough, right? Comment away."

Mike was about to tackle their last seatwork when he heard Finn saying, "Seriously man. I'm glad you're not related to Tina. I thought you were into incest."

He almost snapped his neck facing Finn, the paper on his desk forgotten. "What?" he asked in a furtive whisper.

"You dig Tina. It's cool," Finn continued. "Probably not with Artie, but I don't know if he knows. And it's not like they're in relationship heaven. Anyway, you two are cool dudes, you'll figure something out. Have a 'Halo' showdown or something."

Mr. Harris cleared his throat. Mike knew their teacher well enough to recognize that as a first warning, which ended the bizarre conversation with Finn. Who actually picked up on Mike's infatuation with Tina. Which meant it was probably obvious to everyone who knew Mike.

"Great," he muttered as he let his head fall on the desk. Maybe thumping his head another time would do the trick.

He felt Tina tousle his hair. "Hey, don't do that. You don't want to kill your brain cells right?"

Mike raised his head to look at her. God she was pretty. He just had to torture himself. He knew where he stood, but he kept doing this to himself time and time again. "I play football, Tee. Killing brain cells? Occupational hazard. My brain's used to it."

She tilted her head and looked at him. "I obviously can't stop you if you want to damage your brain, but think of how the kids at camp will be scared if you do damage to your face."

"Can't deprive them of a cute counselor, right?" he grinned.

"Work, people. You can talk all you want after class," Mr. Harris announced. Tina smiled sheepishly at Mike before turning back.

Like he hadn't been thinking about that ever since he found out. Summer with Tina as counselors at camp. She had been so happy when he told her about it at practice that she had hugged Mike, which had surprised him and the other glee club members. She blushed at her uncharacteristic gesture and laughed. Then she said it. "It'll be great, having a friend there with me."

Yup. She had made it official. Friend Zone. Population: Mike Chang. How he wished he was not there.

Even before that he had tried to reconcile himself with the fact that he could only be her friend. Sure, he didn't like how Artie treated her. Tina deserved so much more. But she had made her choice, and he respected that.

Artie was a lucky guy.

Mike sighed and got to work on the review. He turned over the paper given to him.

Scrawled at the top was 'Tina Cohen-Chang.' Just great. Fate was laughing at him. He started to read her writing assignment, determined to get it over and done with.

_Maybe I've seen you before, but I wasn't really looking. Maybe I've already spoken your name, just not to your face. Maybe I've heard your voice, only to have it drowned by pointless chatter._

Mike was running late. At the very least, it was practice for him to run down the hallway without mowing down the other students milling around to get to his locker. Just his luck it was miles away from where his last class was. He shouldn't have left his football stuff there; now he had to hurry, or Coach Tanaka would make him do extra rounds. He definitely did not want to start the year that way. Mike spun the combination, grabbed his gear, stuffed his books inside, slammed the door shut, and ran.

He was halfway down the noise-filled corridor when he heard a voice and stopped.

From the auditorium. It was someone singing 'I Kissed A Girl.' He didn't really care much for the song. The girl singing was a different matter, though.

Mike opened the door a little and took a peek.

He had seen her around before, both at school and out (the Asian community in Lima wasn't that big). She went to the community center every weekend to help out. They weren't really friends. The most he had said to her was 'hi.' She always managed to squeak a 'h-h-hey' before running off. That was the one thing he was sure of: she was really shy. More than he was. That was one of the reasons why they didn't talk to each other. He didn't know she could sing like that though. She literally stopped him in his tracks.

"Practice starts next week. Great job, Tina," his Spanish teacher (and Glee Club director, as it turns out) Mr. Schuester said.

"Tina," he whispered to himself. All those times he had tried talking to her, he never got to ask her name. He really should break out of his shell and pay more attention to other people.

_Maybe we walked the same street once, just in different directions. Maybe you sat at a bench minutes before I did. Maybe we boarded the same train, or stood beside each other at the station. Maybe I hailed a cab after you stepped out._

He knew it was different from football, but glee was too interesting to pass up. Mike actually enjoyed learning - and eventually teaching (those who couldn't keep up with Kurt's tutorial asked help from him instead) - the 'Single Ladies' routine. All those hours in his bedroom copying dance moves off the internet and making up his own paid off. Admittedly, he was flattered that Mr. Schuester told him he had talent. Not that he'd say so out loud.

Mike felt a little guilty, though. He tried to make small talk with all of the glee club members (Kurt and Mercedes were really friendly so he let them do the talking; Artie was his seatmate in History so it was easy enough talking to him; he didn't even dare try with Rachel, who had left the choir room in a huff), but he made sure he talked to one in particular after practice. He caught up with her near the school entrance, where she sat on the stairs.

"Hey. Tina, right?" If he had learned anything from his football teammates, it was to act nonchalant.

"Mike." She nodded, biting her lip. "Y-y-you know my n-name."

"Finn told me." He decided that she didn't need to know about the Katy Perry incident. He might come off as some kind of peeping Tom. He sat next to her. "Why are you still here?"

"Oh, I'm w-waiting for my m-m-mom. She said sh-she'd pick me up today."

"You were great with your solo today."

Tina looked up at him. "Th-th-thanks. I got lucky today, I h-hit the high note with 'Tonight.'"

"I'm not much of a singer, but I know singing like that takes more than luck," Mike replied.

She smiled. "Th-that's really sweet, Mike. Thank y-you." Tina looked down at her hands. "Kurt t-t-told me you're a g-great dancer. Good enough to be in a B-beyonce music video."

"I see my reputation precedes me," he joked. "Honestly though, this dancing in front of other people is new to me."

"You get u-used to it. Glee d-d-does that." Tina stood up at the sound of the car horn. "S-sorry, that's m-m-my mom. I have to g-go. Nice m-meeting you Mike!" She smiled again before going down the stairs.

Mike waved goodbye, waiting until the car disappeared from his view. He absently scratched the back of his neck. Not exactly the best first conversation, but considering the fact that he never spoke more than three sentences to most people, it was definitely progress.

_Maybe I stood behind you in a line. Maybe we watched the same screening of the same movie at the same theater once. Maybe you sat in the seat behind mine. Maybe you liked the ending, while I hated it. _

"...possibly moving next year. Nothing sure yet though, so it's just between us, all right? ...Yo. Chang."

Mike looked away from Tina, who had just walked away from the cafeteria line after paying for her food, Artie at her side. "Huh?"

Matt smirked. "Dude. You are checking her out."

"No." The lanky guy looked at him. "She just walked past!"

"Exactly. Tina happened, so you're non-functional."

A slight frown marred Mike's normally cheerful face. "Non-functional? I don't think so." He paid for the Gatorade he got and started walking to the auditorium for rehearsal that day. The same direction Tina had been going.

With Artie.

Realization suddenly hit Mike.

"It finally clicked in your brain," Matt remarked, laughing at the look on Mike's face. "It's cool, man. It happens."

"But - Brittany -"

"You're not really in a serious relationship with her right?"

"Well, no. Just a couple of dates. Is there something wrong with me because I kind of feel I'm the third wheel?"

Matt chuckled. "Dude, it's Santana and Brit. Guys would kill to be in your position."

Mike shrugged. "I guess I prefer my dates one on one?"

"Okay, man." Matt asked, "So... Tina?"

"She's really pretty. Glee happened, and we're always practicing, right, and Mr. Schue often assigns us to be partners, like when we did 'Keep Holding On,' so we spend time together, and she's just fun to be with, and -"

"You must really like her. You're talking nonstop. So do you plan to do anything?"

Mike blinked. "She's with Artie."

"We're in high school, dude. They sure as hell aren't married. I say put up a fight."

_Maybe I left the party moments before you arrived. Maybe you danced a few feet from where I was standing with my friends. Maybe we bumped into each other as we made our way to the exit. Maybe we've talked to each other just to while away the time. Maybe a friend of mine meant to introduce you to me, but totally forgot._

Something was wrong.

Mike sensed it. Tina acted the same way she always did, but he knew. He could see it in her eyes.

When she entered the choir room that day, he knew it had something to do with Artie. The other guy looked at anywhere but her, engaging Quinn in conversation. Tina kept quiet until Mr. Schue called her up to draw a name from the hat for the ballad assignment.

"Other Asian."

Mike frowned. Something was definitely wrong. He shot a small smile at her, but she merely nodded at him.

After the sample duet Mr. Schue and Rachel did, they were dismissed to work on their assignment. Everyone else went their own ways, presumably to work on their ballads. Soon, Mike and Tina were the only ones left in the room. He took the seat next to her, flashing his trademark smile. "Hey Tee. So... I'm a great listener."

"Huh?" She faced him, confused.

"Whenever you call me 'Other Asian,' you always stop yourself from smirking. When you drew from the hat, you frowned. Hopefully that's not because you got me as a partner," he tried to joke. "Anyway, you can tell me what's wrong."

"Oh. No, it's fine. I'm happy you're my partner. It's nothing, Mike." She tried to smile. "Really. We can work on the ballad now."

He couldn't stand it. "That can wait." He stood up, offering her his hand. "I think better when I'm eating. Come on. My treat. You can tell me whatever."

Tina looked up at him for what felt like forever. Then, she smiled for the first time that day and took his hand. "I'm thinking burgers."

"Done," he grinned.

What she needed most was a friend, and Mike understood that.

_Maybe I've read the book you're currently reading. Maybe you love dancing just as much as I do. Maybe the song I've been humming today is the one you can't get out of your mind._

Everyone was in a flurry preparing for a run through of 'Hello Goodbye.' Mike stood backstage, his coat slung over his shoulder, waiting for Tina. They had been paired yet again. It was a ritual for the two, last-minute practice. She relished perfecting their routine, while he relished spending time with her.

Mike lived for those numbers. It gave him legitimate reasons to hang out with Tina after school. Artie had started giving him suspicious stares though. Mike knew he wasn't doing anything wrong, however, so he ignored the other guy.

Tina soon emerged from the girls' dressing room. Mike straightened up and remarked, "Why hello there, partner."

She giggled. "Mike, I don't think the cowboy accent is for you."

"Tough. We've established with the Hairography number that the hippie look isn't for me either," he deadpanned.

She stopped in front of him and reached up to his neck, loosening the haphazard tie. "You know," she said, looking up at him as she looped his tie, "aside from your standard jock fare - which I must say you pull off well – you shouldn't search for a new look."

Mike could feel her fingers graze his collarbone through the fabric of his collared shirt. "I shouldn't?" he asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he looked down at her.

"Definitely shouldn't," Tina murmured as she finished fixing his tie, lightly tugging it. "There. Put on the coat."

He did as she said.

"Yup. You definitely suit up nicely," she said approvingly. Then she paused. "Thanks for being my friend, Mike. I'm sorry you have to put up with my drama."

Ever since the ballad assignment, where she had confided in him about Artie and the fake stutter, Mike knew it was in his best interest to just forget about Tina. Save himself the heartbreak. But he honestly wanted her to be happy, and if that meant being the bigger man, he would do it. It was difficult trying to get over her, but he told himself he had to do it.

He gulped. "Don't worry, Tee. You know I've got you." He shoved his hands inside his pockets. "Well. We can dance this routine in our sleep."

Tina laughed. "Confident, aren't we?"

"Okay guys, let's go," Mr. Schuester called out. The others soon joined them, the air charged with excitement. It was their first number after bagging Sectionals, after all. "Places!"

They all stepped onstage. The number began, and for Mike, it felt like it was just the two of them on that stage. Midway through the chorus, Tina grinned at him, waving in time to the 'hello' in the song as she turned to switch places with him.

It wasn't in the choreography.

At that moment, Mike knew he didn't want to get over her.

_Maybe I've come across your name on Facebook, a forwarded e-mail, or a fanfic review. Maybe I've seen it doodled on the restroom door or flashed in a TV commercial. Maybe you've glimpsed mine painted on a billboard, neatly printed on a discarded piece of paper, or scrawled on a raffle ticket. Maybe we both have that feeling of familiarity when we see each other's names or photos._

_Maybe you even know who I am._

Artie had backed out of a dance routine with Tina.

Of course Mike couldn't say no when she asked him to dance with her. She apologized for the short notice, but he told her it was okay.

He didn't really know how to tap dance, but she didn't need to know that right? He went straight to the mall after he agreed to the arrangement and got himself a pair of tap shoes. They were to practice the next day, so he spent most of the night watching tap dance videos on Youtube and trying the moves in his bedroom.

After class the following day, Mike went to the school's dance room, where Tina was waiting for him. "I can't thank you enough for this, Mike," she said, walking to meet him at the middle of the room.

"Seriously, you don't have to thank me. I want to do this, Tina." He grinned. "So, how does the dance go anyway?"

A couple of hours later, and they were close to finishing the routine. "Okay, let's try it with the music one last time?" She asked.

He nodded, holding out his hand at the cue.

She took it without hesitation.

Everything was a blur to Mike except for the last part, when he took Tina in his arms and slowly dipped her, eyes locked, their faces mere inches apart. It took them a while to realize that the music had already stopped.

Tina spoke first. "...That was good."

Flushed, Mike helped Tina up and let her go. "I'm sorry. I was out of line. We missed the end. It won't happen again."

She suddenly held him by the wrist. "Mike?"

He was actually afraid to look at her. "I know. You're with Artie. I won't interfere." He kept looking at his shoes.

He could feel her staring at him. "I'm sorry." Tina leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

Mike breathed deeply. It would have to be enough.

_Until then, maybe I'll just wait._

He had to say something.

Mike scribbled at the bottom of Tina's paper, and then folded it in half. The bell soon rang, signaling the end of class.

"Have a great summer guys. See you next year," Mr. Harris said.

Mike grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He waited for Tina to stand up. "Here," he said as he handed her the piece she had written. "I liked it."

She felt a blush quickly spread across her cheeks. "Really?"

"I could tell it came from the heart, just what Mr. Harris wanted. He gave you a good grade for it too. Look at your paper." He shifted his weight. "Well, I'll go on ahead. See you around, Tee." He turned as she unfolded the paper he had just given her.

It only took her a second to read Mike's handwriting. She read it again. And again.

Tina looked up and stared at Mike as he walked out the room, not waiting for anyone. He nodded to someone outside and continued on his way.

She hurried after him. "Mike," she called out before noticing who was waiting for her in the hallway. "Artie. You're here."

"You know my class is just next door. You were on the way. Otherwise I would've told you to meet me out front." He smiled as he asked, "Ready for movie night?"

Tina had a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Let me guess. 'Coming Home.'"

"What else?" Artie grinned.

"My last class was good, not stressful at all," Tina changed topic. "Mr. Harris just returned our papers, some classmates commented."

"Huh," he said. "Well. What were you calling Mike for?"

"Nothing, just wanted to tell him happy summer I guess."

"You'll be at Asian camp together, you don't need to tell him that." He saw Finn emerge from the classroom. "Wait here, Tina. I'll just talk to my man Finn." Without waiting for a reply, Artie wheeled away.

Tina looked up in Mike's direction. He was nowhere to be seen. She unfolded her paper and read his comment one more time.

**'I'm still here.'**

**

* * *

**

Love it? Hate it? Review it! Very much appreciated.

Still on the fence as to whether or not I should add another chapter. From Tina's general perspective. Just to tie things up. Thoughts? :P

Constructive criticism please.

XOXO,

Ms Yu


	2. Tina

All standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I didn't have high expectations (I honestly would've been happy with one review), so the reviews really made me smile. You warmed my heart. Seriously. XD I'll personally reply this weekend, after my classes.

I squeed big time at this: MIKE FINALLY SINGS! (I cannot wait for episode 4.) And, well, sure it's not a solo, but even better for my Mike/Tina heart, IT'S A MIKE AND TINA DUET! (From the EW's Ausiello Files) Um, I hope none of you were spoiled in a bad way. Sorry. I just had to share my happiness with the world. (And I haven't fully figured out this website's document formatting yet so I couldn't do the whole 'highlight if you want to read and be spoiled' kind of thing.) That bit of information motivated me to go ahead with a second part for this story. :P It was supposed to be a one-shot, but I couldn't help myself.

Let me just say I'm not from the US (and am clueless as to the registration system schedule and how close it is to the first day of classes), I've never been to summer camp, and neither have I played 'Halo,' so I apologize for anything that may be factually inconsistent. Feel free to correct me so I can edit accordingly. ^_^ Thanks and enjoy reading!

* * *

Tina felt the color spread across her face. Jasmine and Lei, the female camp counselors she was closest to, told her about the bet between the male counselors as to the winner of the FIFA World Cup. She wasn't much of a sports fan, so she really couldn't make heads or tails of it all. (Jazz tried to explain the intricacies of football/soccer over dinner before, but Tina just couldn't get it.) Apparently Spain won over the Netherlands. Tina couldn't care less ("Trust me, sports fan or not, you have to see the Spanish team. Lots of cuties," Lei gushed), but Mike had been rooting for the Netherlands. And his team had lost.

Which was ostensibly the reason why he, along with Ken, Daniel, and Stephen, showed up at breakfast wearing the camp uniform sans inner shirts.

The other counselors erupted in hoots and laughter. "Nothing like eye candy to start the day," Jazz grinned deviously.

"Amen," Lei said, looking on appreciatively.

Tina could only stare at Mike, his open jacket revealing a finely chiseled torso.

"Viva España!" Alex called out.

"Iniesta got lucky!" Stephen retorted while in line for food.

"I know Mike looks yummy enough to eat, but try to pick up your jaw from the floor," Lei leaned to whisper in Tina's ear. "The camp director might show up anytime now."

Tina turned even redder (if it was at all possible).

"Hey hon," Daniel said, kissing Jazz on the cheek before taking the seat next to her. Tina, who had been a camp counselor for three years now, still found it extremely cute how the polar opposites had become an item the year before and were still going strong.

"I did tell you Spain would win. But did you listen to your girlfriend? No," Jazz admonished with a smile, lightly punching his arm before placing her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not hearing any complaint from you about his change in attire though," Stephen spoke up, eliciting more laughs from everyone.

"I'm starting to think you lost the bet on purpose so you can flaunt your abs and make us guys feel insecure," Ken told Mike in mock anger.

Mike laughed. "Hey, Tee can vouch that I am a bona fide Netherlands fan. The guys in our club actually had a discussion on the World Cup." He looked at Tina.

"Um, yeah. That's true. His best friend Matt was trying to get him to jump ship to the Spanish side," she said, trying not to stare at him.

What she was doing was wrong. She had a boyfriend. A very nice and sweet guy waiting for her back in Lima.

"I need to make a phone call, I'll be back," she said as she bolted out of her chair. Once outside the mess hall, she whipped out her phone and called Artie. It took three calls before he picked up.

"Artie! How are you? I –"

"Hey babe, can I call you back? I'm in the middle of an epic 'Halo' run right now, I don't want to break my streak."

"Oh." She heard the game's sound effects in the background. He hadn't even bothered to pause. "Okay."

"You're awesome, Tina."

"I miss –" _beep beep beep _"– you," Tina said to the busy signal. Artie had already put down the phone. She sighed.

This was not how a relationship was supposed to work. Tina was sure of that now. She couldn't understand how a nice guy like Artie could be such a jerk sometimes. She deserved more. She went back inside and sat in front of her now-cold half-finished pancakes, listening to the others' conversation.

"You all right?" Mike asked her quietly. Lei had left while she had called Artie, and Mike now occupied the seat next to Tina.

She nodded. "What did I miss?"

"Alex and the other guys refuse to cut us slack, so we Dutch supporters have to wear the camp uniform this way until dinner. We've established that Jazz has no problem with that –" Tina laughed at his last statement "– but Daniel has raised concerns as to the reactions of the campers." He offered her one of the hash browns on his plate. "It's still warm."

She got one, smiling at the gesture. "Thanks." She took a couple of bites. "What's on our schedule today?" The two of them were in charge of the music program for the kid campers.

"It's 'The King and I,' right up your alley," he said, showing her the list.

"I love that musical," Tina gushed. "This is great." She finished off the hash brown. "I'll meet you there, okay? I'll just get the songbook from the office. I don't think you should be there, Mrs. Park might throw a fit," she added with a grin.

Mike huffed. "You're right. Go, I'll see you in a bit," he smiled.

Tina remembered how worried she had been about summer with Mike since he wrote on her English paper. How awkward would it be? She shouldn't have stressed about it. It was Mike, after all. The first day of camp, which was also the first time they had seen each other since the last day of school, went by like a normal day. He grinned at her and talked like nothing had happened.

Well, nothing had happened. Nothing at all.

He never brought up his comment on her essay.

The one that she now kept in her wallet.

The one that she unfolded and read every night since he gave it to her.

The one that Lei had seen her reading the other evening.

"_Is that a letter from the boyfriend?" she asked with a grin._

"_Oh. No, this is my English paper," Tina replied, folding it along its worn creases._

"_You like your paper that much? Did you get an A+ on it or something?"_

"_I got an A, actually, which supposedly is pretty high for my teacher. But no, that's not why I keep it." She bit her lip. "Can I ask you something?"_

"_I'm all ears."_

_She handed the other girl the paper. "Well, we had to comment on a random paper Mr. Harris gave us." She watched Lei as the latter read her essay._

"_Oh my gosh, this is so sweet! Nice essay, by the way."_

"_I know. And thank you."_

"_You are lucky with that Artie."_

"_He's not my classmate in English."_

_Lei's mouth dropped. "Do you know who wrote it? It's not some prankster right?"_

_Tina nodded. "It's Mike."_

_She squealed. "I knew it! I had a feeling about him!"_

"_Lei! Keep it down!" She added, "I feel like such a bad girlfriend for having it with me all the time."_

"_Tina, everyone in camp knows you call your boyfriend everyday."_

"…_not that I've had an actual conversation with him. He's been playing video games ever since summer began."_

_The other girl knitted her eyebrows. "Have you talked to him about it? Oh. Right. He hasn't talked to you much. Got it. Well, it's quite a situation you're in. Everyone in camp also knows there's something with you and Mike." She elaborated upon Tina's questioning look. "I don't know if this makes sense, but when you two are together, there's just… something. Sort of like Daniel and Jazz. Palpable chemistry. Air crackling with electricity, sometimes you feel like you shouldn't approach them because you might intrude upon a moment, that sort of thing."_

"_But… I have a boyfriend."_

"_Yes, we've established that. But Tina, the fact that you read this every night with a dreamy smile on your face says something. I don't know Artie, but I think you need to reevaluate your feelings. You should be in a relationship because you want to, not because you feel like you have to."_

_Tina put her head in her hands. "I know. It's not fair to Artie, and it's not fair to Mike."_

_Lei got up and hugged her. "Tina, you have to think of yourself too, okay? Just take some time to think about it. You're a sensible girl."_

Class had begun, and Tina wasn't feeling very sensible at all.

Mike had led the kids in doing stretching exercises. His muscles shifted with his every move. Why he kept the jacket open in front of the kids, she didn't know.

Right. The consequence to that bet.

Tina couldn't really remember anymore.

Mike was a dancer, so she knew he was fit, but she didn't realize he was that fit. He made their silly camp uniform look cool. And, Tina had to admit, he was hot. Not that she hadn't noticed before. She remembered that time the boys did the mash-up of 'It's My Life' and 'Confessions Part II.' She also remembered their choreography for 'Crazy in Love/Hair.' She unconsciously fanned herself with her left hand.

"Tina will be singing 'Getting to Know You' from the musical 'The King and I.' Anyone here know the song?" Mike asked in a cheerful tone.

A couple of kids raised their hands, eyes never leaving the cell phones they held in the other. For this set of kids, that level of interaction was major progress.

"Great! It's a really nice song, so listen well."

Tina's memory wasn't clear on what happened after that. She had started singing, and Mike was doing some freestyle dance, and he stepped in front of her, and next thing she knew, she was standing on tiptoe and he was leaning down and they met at the middle and kissed.

Some time later, the different sounds of camera phones finally registered and broke through the fireworks. The two broke apart, both breathing unevenly. Mike held her by her waist, while Tina's right hand clutched Mike's hair and her left hand rested on his chest.

"Wow," she said, still reeling from the heady kiss. And then realization hit Tina. "Oh my God the kids." She clutched his jacket, mortified.

She felt Mike's chest rumble as he chuckled. "We are in so much trouble."

* * *

Mrs. Park, the camp director, reassigned Mike to the teens' section because of what the other camp counselors now referred to as the 'Chang2 incident.' Tina was paired with Jazz for the kids' music class, which was fine with her. Jazz was a self-confessed klutz though ("There's a reason why I just sing. That's because my cousin Sunshine doesn't have anything on me, and I can't dance"), so Tina handled the dance exercises. Strangely enough, the kids were now more receptive of her and the lessons.

"I don't get it, you said these kids were like mini-nerds and antisocial geeks or something," Jazz whispered at the end of one session, after bringing the kids to their theatre class two rooms away. "I've never seen a bunch of kids so enthusiastic to sing and dance to 'Do-Re-Mi.'"

"They were. After, uh, Mike and I, well, they suddenly acted nicer and wanted to get involved," Tina whispered back.

She snickered. "I guess they approve of your partnership."

"It's not funny Jazz! I couldn't even look at them." She still blushed at the memory.

_Mike turned to face the children, Tina standing still behind him. "Um, hey, guys. Sorry about that. We… got distracted."_

_One girl squeaked, "Can you get distracted more often?"_

"_What?" Tina's voice went up an octave._

"_This could be one of my best blog entries," another kid piped up._

"_Ah, you can't do that. No posting of pictures please," Mike said._

"_Videos, then?"_

"_Definitely no videos either," Tina interrupted, stepping beside Mike, her arms crossed._

"_How about this. We'll borrow your gadgets, delete whatever video or picture you may have taken, and you get chocolate fudge ice cream. But we have to keep everything a secret," Mike said as he squatted to look the kids in the eyes._

"_But they don't have choco fudge ice cream here," the little boy in front said, eyes large._

"_For you guys, there's ice cream today," Mike grinned. "Only a scoop each though, and you let Tina delete the files, all right?"_

"_Yay!"_

_He stood up. "Great. I'll be a second, okay? It'll be our secret. You guys stay put." He walked to the door._

_Tina followed him. "Are we really bribing them?" she whispered._

"_That's the only idea I've got. They haven't had ice cream in weeks."_

"_But there's no ice cream in stock here. The camp's an ice cream-free zone."_

"_I have a gallon stashed in the freezer at the cabin I share with Ken and the other guys." At her questioning gaze, he replied, "We're guys. You should see our junk food cabinet."_

"_I can't believe we're bribing the kids," she moaned, hanging her head._

"_Hey," he said softly, raising her chin so she could meet his gaze. "It's going to be fine. We'll fix this."_

"I still can't believe the camp director was more scandalized by the ice cream than our, er, impulsive actions," Tina groaned.

Jazz laughed. "Well, the kids love you two. Look how they haven't spoken about it to anyone. It was the used plastic cups that gave you away. I suppose Mrs. Park feared a bunch of hyper and sugar high children more than two teens with raging hormones. Apparently moral corruption isn't high on her list."

"Jazz!"

"Sorry, I was kidding. Okay, shutting up. Tell me though, how are things between you and Mike?"

Tina couldn't help smiling. "I can't really describe it. Good? We talked after the damage control with the kids. I guess you can say we're taking it slow."

_Mike and Tina sat next to each other on the piano bench._

"_So. About that…"_

_Tina blurted, "I'll go first, before I lose my nerve. I like you, Mike. But it's all very confusing for me," she confessed. "Artie still is my boyfriend, after all." _

_A look of pain flitted across his features before he put on an impassive face. _

"_Wait, let me finish." She traced the outline of his jaw. "I don't know what this is, but I do know that I want to find out. But I can't do this yet. Not until I've ended things with Artie."_

_Mike took her hand, absently drawing patterns on her palm. "I totally agree with you. I want to do this right."_

"_I can't do a Joe Jonas text kiss-off," Tina said. "Make that any technology-based kind of dumping. I'll break it off when we get back home." _

"_I understand," he replied. He let go of her hand and hugged her. "I'll wait."_

"_Thank you," she murmured into Mike's ear._

"Can I just say you two are adorable?"

"Jazz, we're not together."

"Not yet," she said with a grin.

* * *

Tina actually got back to Lima a week before the start of classes, but Artie was off at a gamers' convention. When he got back, he wanted her to join him for another 'Coming Home' marathon, which she declined. She finally managed to talk to him face to face on registration day. She wanted to end things amicably with Artie. He was, after all, her first boyfriend.

But he had to say, "I was playing a marathon round of 'Halo,' woman!"

She couldn't help herself. "Mike tries to be into what I'm into… like his abs," she smirked. Tina felt a bit bad about what her jibe implied, but he was acting like a jerk.

"So that's what this is about. My handicap." He had followed her.

She turned to face him, shaking. "Don't even make this about your disability, Artie, because it's not. I told you, you're a bad boyfriend. You don't respect me." Her voice softened. "Please. I want us to be friends. Or at least civil to each other after this. You need to work on yourself attitude-wise. You're a great guy, Artie. I mean it. Things just aren't working out with us."

"Then tell me how to make it work."

"I can't. I've been trying to fix our relationship for so long, and then it hit me why I couldn't. I was the only one who cared about it. I want to be in a normal relationship, where I'm not the only one determined to make things work. Mike cares about me." She smiled at the thought of Mike. "I'd like to see where things go with him."

"Please, Tina. One more chance."

"You already had your chance," she sighed. "If I ever meant anything to you, please respect my decision. You owe me that much."

His mouth was set in a grim line. "All right. But I'm not giving up on us, Tina."

"There hasn't been an us for some time now, Artie." She walked away.

* * *

Mike and Tina stood a few feet away from the choir room.

"I want you to have this," he said. "Not to worry, I had it washed."

She opened the package. Inside was a hoodie, with 'Mike C.' woven on the front at the right side of the chest area. "Your camp jacket," she said with a smile. "This'll be huge on me, you know."

"Nonsense. It'll be perfect," he replied, kissing her briefly. "So, you ready?" he offered his hand.

She took it with her free hand, lacing their fingers together. "I am now."

Together, they walked to the first glee club meeting of the year.

* * *

Another A/N: So yeah, polar opposite compared to the first part. Fluffier (I need to improve on my light romance writing), non-dramatic (generally), you get my drift. Took on a life of its own really. I blame the summer camp scene from 2.01. (The original characters were necessary to my storyline. So the bribing kids thing? Pretty implausible, but I was thinking Glee's very insane like that anyway. Do kids nowadays sell their souls for ice cream?) And the thought of the upcoming Mike/Tina fluff in 2.04. (Two more weeks! Wait. That's the day before my third final exam for the semester. Oh heck. Wish me luck.) Next story's in the works already, but I may not have time to churn it out until the 24th or something. Depends on law school. Please cross your fingers for me!

Love it? Hate it? Review it! Very much appreciated.

Constructive criticism please.

XOXO,

Ms Yu


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